In A Hopeless Place
by serenadreams
Summary: On a quest from her dead mother, Elena arrives in Mystic Falls where she meets the charming Damon Salvatore, and quickly falls in love with him. The problem? He has to return to the army in two months. "We found love in a hopeless place." AH/AU (abandoned for now, sorry!)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

><p>Elena slowed down as she reached the boarder of a small town, she had been driving for hours and was having trouble keeping her eyes open.<p>

"Mystic Falls." She read the proud little sign, buried in the hedge at the side of the road.

She knew that being here was silly and irrational, but she didn't know what else to do. She had followed her mom's whims and fancies her whole life and now the thought of not following this final one, was heartbreaking. She didn't have anything left. As pathetic and cliche as that sounded.

Her eyes were beginning to drift shut and her stomach was growling. She couldn't even remember the last time she had had anything to eat. She peered out of the windscreen as she drove into Mystic Falls, taking in the old-fashioned buildings and little Memorial Square. It was a pretty place, quiet and sort of calm; she could see why her mom had loved it so much.

She watched as a couple stopped in the street and kissed, and found herself smiling at the scene. The people here looked happy.

She kept her eyes open for somewhere she could stay but her stomach growled again, reminding her of what her priorities were. Food first, sleep later. She parked her car, going through the usual routine of making sure all the lock buttons were pushed down on each door. As much as she would love to have enough money for a nice car with central locking, it was not a realistic dream any time soon.

She pulled her jacket tighter around her as she began to walk; the February Virginia air was quite a change from her Florida roots. She spotted a sign boasting a Bar and Grill on the other side of the road and quickly crossed to investigate. The place looked nice, vibrant and warm. The smell of food made the decision for her and she ducked inside, getting herself a booth and rubbing her hands together, trying to get some feeling back into her frozen fingertips.

A pretty blonde girl bounced up to her and grinned.

"You ready to order?" She asked in a chipper tone.

Elena found herself compelled to smile back, the girl's sunny personality seemed to radiate to everyone around her.

"Just burger and fries please. Hold the pickles." She said quickly.

"No problem." The girl scribbled on a little note pad before glancing up at her curiously.

"I haven't seen you around before… Are you new to town?" She asked.

Elena sighed, that was the problem with small towns. Everyone wanted to know everybody's business. She had always thought to avoid them up until now.

"Yeah I just arrived." She said quietly.

"Oh, well welcome to Mystic Falls. I'm Caroline." The blonde held her hand out and offered another ear-to-ear grin.

"Elena." She shook her hand and smiled back. "It's nice to meet you."

Her stomach growled loudly and she blushed.

"Right, burger and fries coming right up." Caroline giggled before bouncing off into the kitchen.

Elena watched her retreating back with a wistful expression. It had been a long time since she'd had anything resembling a friend. The past few years had been nothing but a struggle, there hadn't been much time for socializing.

She stared out of the window as she waited for her food to arrive, it was just beginning to get dark and a few iron street lamps were starting to flicker on. She knew that her mom had told her to go there because this town represented some of the happiest moments in her life, but she had to wander what she had envisaged her finding. It was a beautiful place to say the least and so far her first taste of southern hospitality had been nice, but she didn't know anyone, she didn't have enough money to properly settle down. She couldn't really see this working out.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Caroline placed a huge plate of food in front of her.

"Thank you. This is great." She almost moaned as she took her first bite.

It was by far the best burger she had ever had. Or maybe she was just hungrier than she realized.

"So how long are you staying?" Caroline asked.

Elena shrugged. "It depends really… You don't know of anywhere I could stay… just until I figure some things out?"

Caroline thought for a second.

"The Salvatore boarding house. It's pretty much the only place in town that rents out rooms. The Salvatore's are great though, you'll love them." She said.

Elena nodded.

"Thank you. You've been really kind."

Caroline smiled and left her to eat, dancing off to attend to the other customers, all of whom seemed to know her. Some she chatted with, a couple of others glared at her but she just rolled her eyes and moved on.

There was one other waitress, a girl with lanky brown hair and a self assured swagger. She was monosyllabic to the customers and seemed to spend every spare second she had, on her phone. Elena internally rolled her eyes; she had learned long ago to steer clear of bitchy girls.

She was very aware of quite a few people glancing at her as she ate; she figured the town didn't get many newcomers. From the age of fifteen Elena had concentrated on working hard and keeping under the radar, attention wasn't something she handled well. She ducked her head and quickly finished her food. She paid the bill and left Caroline as generous a tip as she could afford, before slipping back out into the cold evening.

Caroline had given her instructions to The Salvatore boarding house and she drove up there straight away. It was beautiful, it was large and rambling, the sort of place that you read about in fairy tales. Elena sat outside in her car for a few moments, just taking in the sight. She doubted she would be able to afford this place, it really was unbelievable. Summoning up her courage she went and rang the bell.

She was ushered inside by a woman who introduced herself as Agnès Salvatore. She had a motherly feel about her, her slightly graying hair was pulled into a loose bun and her long flowing skirt was elegant on her small figure. She had smile lines around her eyes and a soft, open expression on her face. She was beautiful. She waved away the money issue, explaining that this was a privately owned business and money didn't matter to them. She gave Elena the room for half of what it was worth and Elena resisted the urge to throw her arms around her and burst into tears. People helping her out just because they could, was not something she was used to.

Agnès invited her to dinner later in the evening, she told her that they only had two other full time guests, and since it was only her and her husband Giuseppe, they always all ate together. Elena accepted happily, unable to resist her caring smile.

Elena settled her stuff into her room; she didn't have much with her, just a bag with a few clothes and a couple of photo albums.

She lay back on the big bed when she was done unpacking and closed her eyes, breathing a deep sigh of melancholy contentment. This place was, just as her mother had told her it would be, beautiful and homely, but she still wasn't sure what she was doing here. She wanted nothing more than to forget everything and just create a life for herself in this sweet little town, become the rural southern girl she was born to be. But she knew there was more to life than that. She had seen and felt too much to think that everything could just work out if you wanted it bad enough. It wasn't that easy.

She shook herself out of her musings and sat up, undressing quickly and jumping into the shower. She took her time, washing away the long drive and confusing thoughts and by the time she was done, it was time for dinner.

She threw on a fitted t-shirt and a pair of jeans and quickly dried her hair before hurrying downstairs.

Agnès was just carrying a large bowl of something that smelled absolutely delicious into the dining room. Elena smiled and followed, her eyes widening as she took in the amazing spread on the table. She wished she hadn't eaten at the grill earlier.

"I'm French. We like to cook." Agnès shrugged.

"Just wait until Damon gets back. She won't stop cooking for a week." A man with a pleasant face walked in chuckling. "I'm Alaric by the way." He held out a hand.

"Elena." She shook it with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you Elena." Alaric nodded. He was tall and handsome in a sort of rugged way, but despite his joviality he had a slightly tired look about him.

"Damon's my son." Agnès explained, setting yet another dish on the already laden table. "He's been overseas, he's getting back the day after tomorrow."

"You must be exited." Elena said, glancing at her, she really didn't look like she had had any children.

A tall, slightly austere looking man entered. He sat down quickly and looked at Elena appraisingly.

"Exited about what?" He asked.

Elena shifted under his gaze, looking quickly to Agnès.

"Damon coming home." Agnès explained with a little eye roll. "Excuse my husband Elena. He has no manners."

Giuseppe grunted and nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"Where's that girlfriend of yours Saltzman?" He asked Alaric.

"She'll be here any minute."

Sure enough a second later a pretty, mousy looking woman bounced in with a smile. She pecked Alaric on the cheek and settled into a chair. It wasn't until she had sat down that she noticed Elena.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't see you… I'm Jenna." She jumped up again and Elena smiled.

"I'm Elena." She said softly, wondering how she had managed to find a place where everyone seemed so nice.

"Elena's going to be staying with us for a while." Agnès said, settling one final dish on the table and sitting down herself, waving for everyone to join her.

"Dig in, this food isn't going to eat itself, and I shall be offended if it's not finished." She joked.

Everyone sat down and helped themselves, the formality seemed to disappear and, with the exception of Giuseppe, everyone chatted comfortably.

"So Elena, tell us about yourself. What's a young girl like you doing by yourself in a town like this?" Alaric asked, glancing her way curiously.

Elena shrugged and shifted awkwardly.

"My mother used to live here when she was little… I figured I'd come back and look around…trace my roots and all." She said. It was true that her mom had lived here, but she decided to leave out the real reason for her being back. It posed too many questions.

"Oh really? What's your mother's name?" Agnès said, looking up with interest.

"Miranda. And her maiden name was Gray." Elena replied honestly. She didn't see the point in lying about that either.

Jenna's head snapped up and her eyes flickered to Elena's with something resembling shock, but she kept quiet.

"Miranda Gray… It definitely rings a bell. When did she leave?" Agnès asked.

"A long time ago, she was just a child."

Alaric was watching Jenna curiously. She had gone frighteningly pale and was staring blankly at the table.

"Oh well, it's lovely to have you here Elena. I'm sure you'll love Mystic Falls."

Elena nodded her thanks at Agnès and tucked back into her food, trying to avoid answering any other questions.

"So why did she leave?" Alaric asked, oblivious to her thoughts.

Jenna stood up abruptly, her face going from sheet white to bright red in a matter of seconds.

"If you'll excuse me, I don't feel very well." She stammered, almost stumbling in her haste to get out of the room.

Alaric looked confused but quickly raced after her, leaving Elena alone with Giuseppe and Agnès.

She sighed, she wasn't stupid, Jenna knew something about her mother. This was the exact reason she hadn't wanted to come here, it was like opening Pandora's box, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for the consequences.

* * *

><p>The next day dawned bright and early. Elena hadn't even bothered to set an alarm, knowing that the morning sun streaming in through her bay window would wake her in time. The room she had been given was beautiful. It was old fashioned and ornate, with powder blue walls and furniture that reminded her of her childhood love of Jane Austen novels.<p>

She dressed quickly in her usual jeans and t-shirt, adding a thick jacket on account of the weather. She still wasn't used to being cold all the time. She had spent the majority of her life in one of the hottest states in the country, she was used to humidity and sunburn, not sweaters and numb toes. She made a mental note to go shopping for more warm clothes when she had the chance. She left her hair hanging straight down her back as she always did. Her mother used to tell her that she had the most beautiful hair she had ever seen. She hadn't been allowed to cut it until she was thirteen, and by then she hadn't wanted to.

She set off for town as soon as she was ready. She needed a job if she was going to stay here for a while. She had about $200 dollars to her name, and that and more belonged to the bank. She had learned from a young age how important money was for survival, but she had never had enough. It was a constant struggle and the concept of not having to worry about how she was going to pay for her next meal was completely foreign to her.

She had noticed a help wanted sign at the Grill the night before, so she went there first, her sneakers crunched against the tarmac and her breath made clouds in the ice-cold air as she walked briskly down the road towards the restaurant.

The town was just waking up, shopkeepers were putting out their signs and opening their shutters, and a couple of people were struggling to scrape the frost off their windscreens.

She smiled to herself, as much as she had her doubts about being here, she wanted to escape the darkness that life had to offer and enjoy the light. Just for a bit anyway. And she had a feeling that this was the perfect place to do so.

Now all she had to do was get a job, earn some money, dodge questions she couldn't answer and try to figure out who she was and what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review and tell me what you think! I know this chapter doesn't have any delena in it, or give away much about what this story is going to be like, but it's just to set the scene! <strong>_

_**Also, just a little note; I know that the Salvatores are Italian, but in the books their mother is mentioned as being French so I thought I would keep that little detail! **_

_**Let me know if you think I should continue or not :) **_

_**Serena xoxo**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

><p>Elena woke up early, today was her first day working at the grill and she didn't want to be late. After a good word from Caroline, they had hired her as a waitress, and she was set to start straight away. The bitchy girl she'd noticed earlier had glared at her but she brushed it off, she didn't need to get involved in small town politics.<p>

She got ready quickly, trying to be quiet so as not to wake anyone else. She wanted to get to the grill early, so she had time to learn the ropes before they opened. She crept downstairs, slinging her handbag over her shoulder.

"Elena?"

She gasped in surprise at the voice and whirled round to see Agnes coming out of the kitchen looking flustered.

"Oh hi… I'm sorry I didn't expect anyone else to be up." She said quietly, placing a hand over her pounding heart.

"Damon's coming back tonight. We're having a huge welcome party and I'm completely freaking out." Agnes sighed.

Elena smiled at how she sounded like a manic teenage girl.

"I need everything to be perfect." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "He's been gone for so long and…" She choked on her words and broke off, looking away.

Elena softened and shifted her feet, unsure how to comfort her.

"I don't think it matters what the party's like…what matters is how happy you'll be to have him back, that's what he's going to care about. He is so lucky to be coming home to this family, and party or no party all he wants is to see you." She said softly. She couldn't imagine the pain of having someone you loved, off fighting in a war zone.

Agnes looked at her and burst into tears, impulsively pulling her into her arms, Elena relaxed into the motherly embrace, almost choking up herself. It had been so long since she had felt so much a part of something.

Agnes pulled back and smiled warmly.

"Thank you Elena, I needed to hear that."

She paused and her eyes flickered with something unrecognizable.

"Damon will like you." She murmured, something akin to apprehension in her voice.

Elena looked away and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I should be going…I'm gonna be late." She muttered. "Good luck with the party." She smiled and dashed out the door.

* * *

><p>Five hours later, Elena's hair had gone limp and her feet were aching. After hours of waiting tables and dealing with day drunken men hitting on her, her enthusiasm was beginning to wane. Still, she was glad to have this job and god knows she needed it, hell however many drunken guys hit on her, this was still the best she had ever been treated in a workplace. She had been working full time since she was fifteen years old, she could take whatever they threw at her.<p>

"Hey Elena. Break time." Called Matt, her boss and Caroline's on off boyfriend. She still hadn't really figured what their deal was yet.

She nodded and walked towards the bathrooms, yanking her hair into a ponytail. She stared at her pale reflection in the mirror and sighed, however much she went thought the motions of living this perfect southern life, the real world was always there in the back of her mind, reminding her that it couldn't last.

"You know Damon Salvatore gets back today?" Two high school girls barged into the restroom, giggling as they pulled out their compacts and lipsticks.

"Today? Oh my god he was so cute."

"Please, he's been gone for three years. Do you even remember him?"

"Yes of course I do! You don't forget a face like that…"

"The Salvatore's are having a party…we should go, maybe he'd notice how much we'd grown up!"

They burst into giggles and Elena couldn't help but roll her eyes. Something as frivolous as gossiping over a guy had become ridiculous to her. She just couldn't understand it anymore.

Agnes's comment and the look in her eyes as she'd said it, had resonated with Elena. She had wanted to reassure her that she was not the sort of girl who would fall into bed with her charming prodigal son… but she didn't quite know how to put that into words.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw one of the girls eyeing her suspiciously. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she ducked out of the bathroom and signaled to Matt that she could go back on shift.

* * *

><p>The day dragged on, and Elena was happy when it was time to leave. She arrived back to the boarding house, to be greeted by a swirl of activity. There were streamers hung everywhere and Agnes was running around yelling instructions to anyone who would listen. Delicious smells were coming from the kitchen and someone was sorting through a pile of vinyl records.<p>

"Elena!" Agnes noticed her and beckoned her over. "I'm so sorry to ask, but could you help me? I have too much to concentrate on and I'm about to burn my cookies." She rambled.

Elena nodded.

"Sure, no problem. What can I do?" She asked, dropping her bag onto a chair and smiling brightly.

"Why don't you start by saving my cookies from becoming jaw breakers?" Elena nodded and made her way to the kitchen, pulling the perfectly cooked biscuits from the oven.

The next hour was a whirlwind of hanging lights, icing cakes, and pouring drinks.

As she was precariously balancing on a chair trying to get a ribbon to stay in it's spot above the window, Agnes approached her with a wide smile.

"I've got it from here Elena. You go get dressed." She said, patting her arm gently.

Elena frowned.

"Get dressed? But I… I mean I don't know Damon." She stammered, her eyes widening.

"You thought you weren't coming to the party? Silly girl, of course you're coming, you live here now. You're one of us." She patted her shoulder, not realizing the impact her words had just had on the young girl. "Now go pretty yourself up."

She walked away, leaving Elena feeling a little shell-shocked. She was _one of them, a part of something_. She grinned and ran upstairs, her energy returning and her troubles temporarily disappearing.

She rummaged through her clothes, settling on one of the two dresses she'd brought with her. A maroon lace thing with long sleeves and a scoop neck. It was pretty while being modest and wearable to a family event. She left her hair down and slipped on a pair of simple black flats. She kept her makeup light and when she was ready, she sat on her bed listening to the sounds of guests arriving. She was trying to work up the courage to go downstairs.

Eventually the sound of dozens of voices floated upstairs and Elena realized that everyone was there. She really couldn't put it off any longer. She joined the party and caught Jenna's eye who immediately rushed over.

"Oh Elena, you look beautiful." She smiled.

"So do you." Elena said truthfully. Jenna really was a pretty woman, in a soft sort of comfortable way.

"Look I wanted to apologize about the way I behaved at dinner." She said quietly, dropping her eyes to the floor.

Elena sighed.

"You knew my mother, didn't you?"

"Yes. And someday I'll tell you everything." Jenna assured her.

"But not now."

"No, not now. Damon's about to arrive, and this needs to be a happy night."

Elena nodded in understanding.

"Does Damon even know that this party is happening?" She asked after a moment.

Jenna chuckled.

"Nope. He's expecting a small family gathering." She said with quotation marks.

Elena laughed, the poor guy was going to get a shock, she thought, looking around the crowded room.

"Do you know him well?" She asked.

Jenna nodded.

"I've known him almost my whole life. He's Ric's best friend…They used to be inseparable." She giggled at that and Elena couldn't help but crack a smile at the thought of Alaric and his bff.

"Anyway, I should go _mingle._" Jenna said with distaste. "See you around Elena."

She smiled before hurrying off to rescue Alaric from what looked like an incredibly boring conversation with one of Giuseppe's friends.

After saying hi to Agnes and assuring her that everything looked perfect, Elena slipped away into the kitchen. She knew she was being antisocial but she wasn't used to parties.

She helped herself to a glass of water, sitting on one of the counters in the kitchen and swinging her legs.

A few minutes later the sound of a car pulling up outside could be heard and then the boarding house door burst open and Elena watched through the window as everyone ran to greet Damon. It was dark so she couldn't see his face, but she almost felt tears in her eyes as she watched the homecoming. Agnes had flown into his arms and had to be pried away by Giuseppe.

She knew she should probably go and politely introduce herself but she stayed put, Damon would want time to be with everyone he loved, there would be time for introductions later. She didn't think anyone would particularly mind. She leant back against the wall and closed her eyes a, small smile on her face as she listened to the voices outside. It was sweet how much everyone cared about Damon. It was like they had all put whatever differences they had behind them for the night, so they could pay their respects to the town hero. It was touching.

* * *

><p>Damon excused himself from a group of his mothers' friends who were asking him to recount what the food in Afghanistan was like, and slipped into the kitchen. As touched, as he was that his parents had thrown him this party, all he really wanted to do was go to bed. It had been a long journey and coming home to a house full of people was exhausting.<p>

He stopped short, almost tripping over his own feet when he noticed whom else was occupying the kitchen.

The most beautiful girl he had ever seen was sitting on the counter, her head resting against the wall behind her and her eyes closed, her long lashes created shadows on her cheeks. A glass of water sat beside her and her bare feet tapped against the cupboards below. He found himself just staring at her, mesmerized by her natural unassuming beauty. When he realized what he was dong he snapped himself out of it and cleared his throat, thinking she would probably appreciate being alerted to his presence.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, heat flooding her cheeks as she slipped off surface.

"I'm sorry I was… I…" She stumbled over her words, her face growing hotter as she gazed at him.

"I thought hiding out in the kitchen was my thing. I didn't know I had competition." He smiled.

She relaxed slightly and held out her hand.

"I'm Elena." She said with a sweet little smile.

He took her hand, shocked by the feeling that coursed through him; he didn't ever want to stop touching her. He brought it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her silky skin.

"Nice to meet you Elena." He murmured, his voice a little husky, the extreme desire he felt for her wasn't helped by how perfect her skin felt against his lips. "I'm Damon." He gently dropped her hand and took a step back, trying to force coherent thoughts back into his brain.

Elena was blushing more than ever, and her hand seemed sort of shaky as she quickly shoved it in her pocket.

"You're Damon?" She asked, her eyes widening.

"The one and only." He smirked, opening the fridge and rummaging around until he found an open bottle of wine. He poured two glasses and offered her one, internally grinning when she hesitantly took it, brushing her hand against his in the process.

"And may I ask what a beautiful woman such as yourself is doing at my welcome home party?" He asked smoothly, hoisting himself up onto the counter beside her.

The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile at the compliment, despite the eye roll she quickly gave.

"I'm staying here for a while…at the boarding house." She said quickly, looking away.

He nodded in understanding, he wanted to press it further, he couldn't understand why someone so young would be staying alone at a boarding house in the middle of Virginia, but he could tell by the look on her face that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Well I'm glad to hear it." He murmured.

She opened her mouth to reply but they were interrupted by his father bursting into the room.

"They you are Damon. You have a houseful of people here to see you, come and mingle." He said firmly, his eyes flickered over Elena and an almost worried look crossed his features. "I see you've met Elena." He said quietly.

"Yes, I was just about to go… you go mingle." Elena said quickly, keeping her eyes on the floor as she ducked from the room.

Damon didn't have time to wonder why the room suddenly felt colder before Giuseppe dragged him out.

He spent the rest of the night making small talk, his mind on the dark haired girl with the doe eyes. He had never felt such an overwhelming urge to just grab someone and kiss them, but with her he wanted to kiss her and never stop, touch every inch of that perfect olive skin and taste…He stopped that train of thought right where it was, there was no way he was going to sleep with her, she was obviously quite young and besides, she lived in his house. That took the awkward morning after to a whole new level.

He forcefully ignored the nagging suspicion that it wasn't just sex that he wanted from the sweet, blushing Elena. He was completely captivated by her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hope you liked the update! Don't forget to review, reviews are love! They mean the world :) <strong>_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>The sun shining through his old bedroom window woke Damon the next morning. He lay still for a few minutes, drinking in the peace of being home. He had missed it here, the comfort and familiarity of this house was something he yearned for when he was away.<p>

His room hadn't changed since he had last been home, Agnes made a point not to disrupt anything when he was gone. He figured it made it easier for her if she behaved as if he was still there.

He reached over and grabbed the clock of the bedside table, squinting to see the time. It was early, he was probably jet lagged or something. He sighed and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair. He slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt and headed downstairs, relieved to see the house empty after the flock of people that had converged on him last night.

With food on his mind, he hurried to the kitchen and began pulling out the ingredients for waffles. He was going to indulge himself over the next few weeks, although he knew it would make it harder when he had to go back, he didn't really care.

He had two whole months to enjoy himself, do whatever he wanted and he wasn't planning on wasting a second.

He fell back into the pattern of preparing his breakfast and moving around the kitchen as though he'd never left. He knew where everything was on instinct even though it had been ages since he'd been home.

As he cooked, his mind drifted back to the girl he met at the party. The doe eyed girl who had irritatingly haunted his dreams all night. She was ridiculously hot, and he wasn't just thinking that because the only female contact he'd had in months were hard ass soldiers with zero tolerance for invasion of personal space. Elena really was extraordinarily beautiful. She was quite possibly the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, and he couldn't have her. That was something he was not used to.

He sighed and forced his thoughts away from Elena, to more rewarding topics like what he was going to do in the next two months. He wanted to go on a road trip, just for a couple of days, but he wanted that complete freedom of being able to go wherever he wanted. It was one of the things he missed most.

He turned around in surprise when he heard a startled gasp from behind him.

Elena was standing in the doorway, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and a sheepish smile on her face.

"Oh hi." She murmured.

He smiled, taking in her appearance. She was obviously exhausted, she had no makeup on and was wearing a simple t-shirt with a pair of yoga pants. He thought she looked even prettier like that.

"Is this going to become a regular thing?"

She looked at him questioningly.

"Us meeting in the kitchen." He explained with a smirk.

"Oh." She blushed and chuckled awkwardly.

"So what can I get you?"

"Oh nothing, thanks. I've got to go, I was just gonna grab some water." She picked at the handle of her bag and shifted towards the door.

"What? Don't be ridiculous you can't skip breakfast! It's the best meal of the day. Where are you off to so early anyway?"

"I work at the grill." Elena admitted. "I just started yesterday."

Damon grabbed an extra plate from the cupboard and started rummaging around in a drawer for some cutlery.

"Well that decides it. You definitely can't work on an empty stomach. Sit down, I'll make you a waffle." He said firmly.

"It's really fine." She sounded almost nervous, and he found himself wondering not for the first time, what she was doing by herself all the way out here.

"Shush don't be silly. These are the best waffles in the whole of Virginia. Trust me, you'll love them."

She looked like she was going to argue some more, but she shrugged and relented, pulling out a chair and hanging her bag neatly on the arm.

"Thank you." She said quietly, when he placed a plate of food in front of her. He had added chopped strawberries and maple syrup and it looked amazing.

He got his own food and sat opposite her, digging in and gesturing for her to do the same.

She moaned when she took her first bite.

"Are you kidding me? This is incredible." She exclaimed, quickly shoveling another loaded forkful into her mouth.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm; he liked a girl who could eat.

"Glad you like 'em." He made a gesture as though to tip his hat and she giggled.

"When was the last time someone cooked you breakfast?" He asked after a while, he knew he had no right to be curious, but it was obvious that this was an unusual occurrence for her, and he'd never been one for holding back.

She was clearly surprised by his question and her eyes dropped to her lap.

"I don't remember." She said simply.

She didn't offer anything else, and he didn't push it. He figured if she wanted to share, she would.

"What is it with your family and making amazing food? I've eaten better in the last two days than like…ever." She said, changing the subject.

She was trying to get every drop of syrup from her plate onto her fork and was failing miserably. He resisted the urge to laugh at her, getting up and grabbing her a spoon.

She grinned at him in appreciation, and proceeded to swallow an entire spoonful of syrup.

"Well my father's Italian and my mother's French, it would be a little weird if we _couldn't _cook." He shrugged.

"Have you ever been there?" She asked, looking at him with sudden wonder in her eyes.

"Where?"

"Italy or France…Europe." She said the word as though it were some revered foreign land only heard of in fairy tales.

"We used to spend all our summers in France when I was a kid. We'd do these family camping trips in Normandy." He smiled wistfully, as much as he'd hated them, he'd been sad when they'd stopped going.

Elena on the other hand looked absolutely enthralled.

"What's it like?" Her food was forgotten and her eyes were fixed on him expectantly.

"Well, Normandy is kind of like England. It rains all the time and the sky is constantly grey. So camping there wasn't really a good idea." He remembered how every summer he and Stefan would beg their parents to camp in the south instead. They had always insisted on holding onto the Normandy tradition though, despite the fact that every year they had gotten so wet and cold that they'd all get sick.

Elena looked slightly disappointed at that, and he realized that she'd built Europe up in her mind to be some amazing mystical place.

"Paris though is incredible, and I spent a semester in Sienna when I was nineteen, that was amazing." He said quickly, he didn't want to be the one to disillusion her.

She smiled.

"Maybe one day you could tell me about it." She said softly.

He nodded, slightly too eagerly, and hid his disappointment when she stood up.

She took her plate to the sink and washed it quickly, before glancing at her watch. She gasped in horror and slung her bag haphazardly over her shoulder.

"I've got to go, I'm really late." She explained, already hurrying towards the door. "But thank you for the waffle, it was awesome."

"Anytime."

She gave him a breathtaking smile and with that she was gone.

He was grinning long after the front door had closed behind her.

* * *

><p>Work went smoothly and by the end of the day she had settled into a sort of routine. It wasn't hard work, and most of the people were nice. Caroline had introduced her to her friend Bonnie, an intimidating beautiful girl with slightly wary eyes and a big smile.<p>

They had invited her for drinks after her shift ended, and after hesitating for a second she agreed. And she actually found herself having fun. They chatted easily, and discussed regular girly things; something Elena hadn't done in years.

"So Elena, tell us about you…where'd you suddenly appear from?" Bonnie asked eventually. They had been hanging out for over an hour and so far Elena had managed to dodge all questions like that.

She sighed and shifted uncomfortably.

"I grew up in Florida with my mom, went to the local high school, graduated when I was sixteen, moved away a few months ago and decided to come here." She said quickly, smiling a little shakily. It was definitely the cliff notes version of her story, but talking about her past wasn't easy for her.

"Just your mom? What about your dad?" Bonnie elbowed Caroline in the ribs and silently admonished her for her tactless question.

Elena bit the bullet and answered.

"My dad died when I was six, and I have no siblings…so it was just my mom." She said softly.

Caroline bit her lip and looked down, Bonnie's eyes widened and filled with that sympathetic look that Elena had grown to hate.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…" Caroline stammered, her porcelain skin flushing pink.

"No it's fine, you couldn't have known. I don't mind, really." Elena cut in quickly, it was clear that this girl had a big heart as well as mouth. And this was exactly what she had wanted to avoid. She didn't like people feeling sorry for her, or feeling bad for asking questions that normal people would have no problem answering.

"I have the world's worst word vomit! Ask anyone, I can't keep my mouth shut." The blonde babbled on, looking more and more flustered by the minute.

Bonnie rolled her eyes fondly and Elena smiled.

"Caroline it's fine." She assured her. "Why don't you tell me about you? Did you both grow up here?" she asked. Caroline smiled appreciatively at her, relieved at the change of subject.

"Yep, we're Mystic Falls born and bred." Bonnie said with mock enthusiasm. "Went all the way from nursery to high school together."

"I'm surprised we haven't psychotically murdered each other yet." Caroline murmured dryly, earning a dirty look from her friend.

Elena watched the exchange silently. This was what she'd always wished for, a friendship that never went away, never changed. She'd always wanted a constant, something that would never disappear, that she could count on.

"Elena? You ok?" Bonnie's eyes were filled with concern and Caroline's filled with curiosity.

Elena hadn't even noticed that she'd zoned out. She looked up quickly and forced a smile onto her face.

"I'm fine, sorry. Um…Do you mind if I call it a night, it's been a long day."

"Yeah of course. Are you sure you're ok?" Bonnie asked, looking at her in slight confusion.

"I'm good, I just suddenly got really tired. But thank you for this, it's been fun." She explained.

They nodded and let her go with promises of catching up tomorrow.

She hurried out into the cold night air, pulling her jacket tight around her. She felt bad for ditching them on their girls night, but she was still getting used to this whole having friends thing. And talking about her life always made her antsy and nervous. She'd suddenly felt incredibly suffocated.

She had walked to work that morning, she was so late already that an extra five minutes made no difference, and she had needed to get her mind off Damon's intensely blue eyes and infuriatingly gorgeous smirk, a brisk walk had seemed like a good idea. Now she was regretting it; it was dark and she was freezing. She ducked her head and walked fast, clenching her hands into fists by her sides. She had grown up in a city, basically by her self, it was heavily ingrained into her that walking alone at night was like asking for something bad to happen to you.

The road up towards the boarding house from the town was dark and empty, surrounded by woods. When she heard a car begin to slow down beside her, her heart sped up and her fisted hands grew sweaty. She silently chastised herself for putting herself into stupid situations when she knew better.

The car's headlights were flooding the road and she could hear the throbbing of the engine grow closer to her. She groaned internally as it pulled up alongside her. What was she going to have to deal with now?

"Elena?" A surprised and slightly irritated voice called out.

She whirled round and peered through the darkness, to see Damon's face looking back at her.

"Elena, get in the car." He said, almost angrily.

She breathed a sigh of relief, it was Damon, she was fine.

"She walked over to the passenger door and hopped in, shuddering as the warm air hit her frozen body.

"Thank you." She muttered, glancing at him.

He glared at her.

"What were you thinking Elena? Where's your car?"

She felt a flash of anger, he was being unnecessarily condescending. She had looked out for herself for years, she didn't need him to suddenly come along and treat her like a child. She wasn't some helpless damsel that needed to be taught the ways of the world.

"I walked to work, I was walking back. It's no big deal." She said stiffly.

"It's not _safe._" He replied, equally annoyed.

She didn't really have time to wonder why he was so concerned about her well being, before a huge shiver ran through her body. Her teeth chattered and she hunched down in her seat, rubbing her hands together.

"You're frozen." His voice softened and he quickly turned the heating up and pointed the vents towards her.

She gave him a small smile in thanks and held her hands out towards the heat.

"I came off a bit strong, I'm sorry. I have no right to tell you what to do. I just didn't like the idea of you being out here alone." He murmured quietly, keeping his eyes fixed steadily on the road.

She turned to face him and offered a real smile this time.

"Thank you." She said simply.

He nodded and they continued home without a word, but not without him throwing a quick glance her way.

Just because he couldn't date her, didn't mean he couldn't be her friend. She looked like she needed one.

* * *

><p><strong><em>I know this chapter didn't really have much plot, it was just to sort of introduce the characters a little more! <em>**

**_Don't forget to review ;)_**


End file.
